Toronto Photography Meetup Group

I've heard from various people that they went to Europe/New York for a week long photography course.

Anyone know if there are such courses available here that take you out of the country?

I'd be happy to teach a destination photography course if anyone wants to pay for my flight and accomodation to an exotic country? No takers? Ya, ok that's what I thought.

But seriously.... there are lots of options for destination photography courses. They are a great idea!

A friend of mine went to california on a National Geographic expedition. Really expensive but looks like a blast http://www.nationalgeographicexpedition ... hotography

Such as?

I am thinking more of the luminous landscape workshops than a weekend to New York... http://www.luminous-landscape.com/workshops/

I love the southwest. I might save up my shekels for this one:

http://www.dykinga.com/www.dykinga.com/workshops.html

This National Geographic photographer lives in Arizona and gives his own courses.

I've heard good things about the Rocky Mountain School of Photography. They have workshops all over.

http://www.rmsp.com/Workshops/Default.aspx

How about this? He is pretty expensive but seems like to be very popular :
http://www.travelimages.com/index.html

if you learn the basics and tricks of photography and have a vision, then you don't need courses, all you do is buy a ticket and grab your camera...apply what you learned

Hi:

Is this what you are thinking about? From Ryerson University.

http://ce-online.ryerson.ca/ce_2009-201 ... CDFP%20559

The odd thing about this "workshop" is I don't see any mention of actually taking pictures or practicing photography.

DG

Not sure if it's a 'destination' in the exploration sense, but you can drink and learn from Greg Gorman.

http://www.gormanworkshops.com/

If I had money just sitting around, and I had all the gear that I ever needed, I would probably do this one, but since I'm perpetually wanting more gear, Gorman will have to wait.

edit: site is nsfw

And more from around the world. But most are the usual short workshop in a well known local with some "famous" photographer who is adding to his stock portfolio on your nickle.

http://photoworkshops.shawguides.com/

The immersion kind of course, where you spend a week or more living breathing, eating photography seem rare.

There are a couple on the list that are week or longer courses.

DG

I think I'll be going to Antarctica later this year. If anyone want to pay my expenses, I'd be happy to mentor you Africa will work too

That is true, however I like the idea that the logistics like:

- identifying the best locations and time to shoot
- local transportation
- information on local customs/restrictions, especially, if you don't know the language etc.

are taken care by someone else and one can focus on photography.

I agree. This is what makes it attractive to me, have someone show you the lay of the land first then later on you can explore by yourself.

Of more interest are photographic safaris where the guide is an expert in both photography and in the area.

I just met someone who attended a field workshop taught by Ansel Adams, even PotatoEYE might have learned something

Magnum has workshops all the time, all over the world. These aren't official travel tours, so you just have to get your ass over to whatever city is hosting.

I've thought about taking the david tejada mentor series treks before...

http://archive.popphoto.com/mentor-series-home/

LONG ANSWER: There are TONS of photographers in exotic travel locations that supplement their incomes by offering photographer courses/seminars to travellers that drop by where they live.

All you need to do is google the location you want plus "photography course' or 'seminar" or 'tours'.
In fact, when I go on vacation I usually do a search for these types of courses because the photographer usually lists the tour itinerary of places where they will go to photograph. I find this is a good way to learn of off-the 'beaten path' locations for photo-ops. Nobody knows the photo-ops better than a professional living there.
For example I came back from Costa Rica last month and my search revealed a few places that were better served for photography instead of the over-touristed places that result on the wildlife avoiding the heavily tramped trails full of noisy families.
Also the photography courses are hopefully timed to better take in to account certain important factors such as animal migration, holidays, local weather climate and other factors you may not be thinking about here.

SHORT ANSWER: Yes, google is your friend

The original question mentioned week long courses in NY. This may have been one of the workshops you had heard about.

This is Jay Maisel's web site. He offers five day intensive workshops in New York City. Five days, over 12 hours a day for $5,000 US. And yet all spring sessions are sold out. Fall is still open.

http://www.jaymaisel.com/
http://www.jaymaisel.com/20100208_fall_ ... b_0001.pdf

DG

U$1,000 a day? Wow. Who does these? Rich hobbyists and already successful pros? Would someone that successful need further instruction?

Well, I assume if one is successfully selling lots of wildlife photos to big magazines and shit, it doesn't mean one is a great landscape or travel photographer, right? So in a sense this does have its market niche, especially if the "pro's" make lots of money to spend...again, I might be wrong.

Who can ever say they know it all, that they can't learn more, that they can't get better. I think the successful stay successful because they never stop learning.

I would love to try this workshop. But $5K is way steep.

DG

True.

But, wouldn't it be nice (if you had the money to burn) to have an internationally acclaimed pro tap you on the shoulder and suggest a solution that you have never thought of before? It could ignite your creativity with new technics that will change the way you shoot forever.

that's like saying "ok I've learned addition and subtraction, I have a vision of how calculus works, I'll apply +/- and figure out how to calculate the derivative." Sure, some geniuses are probably able to do that, but we're not all geniuses, and it's nice to have someone give you their opinion and pointers once in awhile.

+1, ste likes this

Yes? I can learn all about shooting in Africa by taking a workshop in downtown or do I have to go all the way out to the Zoo?

Going to a workshop in another country shouldn't be about learning basic camera techniques, your right you can get that at home. It should be about learning to photograph in a different environment. Sure I can learn about underwater photography in a pool in Scarborough but it's pretty hard to learn how to frame a shark in that same pool.

I think photography is less then 1/3rd technical and a good travel workshop should be focused on things that need to be experienced rather then the mundane technical aspects.

+1 vkhamphi likes this.

+1, ste likes this too

Check out this Adobe sponsored Travel workshop if you have some spare change left over after buying gear

http://www.focusonnature.is/


Also this has some good travel tips

http://www.deke.com/content/martini-hou ... hing-socks